STICHTING NEDERLANDS INSTITUUT VOOR INTERNATIONALE BETREKKINGEN CLINGENDAEL

Their core work

Clingendael is one of the Netherlands' leading think tanks on international relations and diplomacy, providing policy analysis and advisory services on European governance, migration, and multilateral cooperation. In H2020, they contributed expertise on EU legitimacy, differentiated integration models, and alternative migration governance frameworks. Their work bridges political science research with practical policy advice for European institutions and national governments, making them a valued contributor in projects requiring deep understanding of EU decision-making and geopolitical dynamics.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

All three H2020 projects fall within a narrow 2017–2023 window, so evolution is limited. However, there is a visible broadening: the earliest involvement (PLATO, 2017) focused on EU legitimacy in a post-crisis context, while the later projects (InDivEU and ADMIGOV, both starting 2019) expanded into migration, development, and differentiated integration models. This suggests a shift from analyzing EU institutional challenges toward more applied policy questions on how the EU manages diversity and external pressures.

Clingendael is moving toward applied governance research that connects EU institutional design with real-world policy challenges like migration and sustainable development.

How they like to work

Clingendael has never coordinated an H2020 project, participating instead as a partner or third-party expert — consistent with a think tank that provides specialized policy input rather than managing large research consortia. Despite only three projects, they have worked with 56 unique partners across 26 countries, indicating they join broad, pan-European consortia where their policy expertise complements teams of academics and practitioners. This makes them a low-overhead, high-value addition to consortia needing credible policy analysis.

Remarkably broad network for their H2020 footprint: 56 unique partners across 26 countries through just 3 projects. This reflects their participation in large training networks and research consortia with strong pan-European reach.

What sets them apart

Clingendael brings something most academic partners cannot: a direct bridge between research findings and policy-making circles in The Hague and Brussels. As an established diplomatic think tank with decades of advisory work, they add institutional credibility and real-world policy relevance to any consortium. For project coordinators, partnering with Clingendael signals that research outputs will reach decision-makers, not just academic journals.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ADMIGOV
  Their only directly funded H2020 project (EUR 116,878), addressing the politically sensitive topic of alternative migration governance linked to SDGs.
• InDivEU
  Tackled the fundamental question of how the EU can integrate while allowing member state diversity — a topic with direct implications for EU policy reform.